Sir,
It is clear that the letter from Sir Eric Howells is a political one, but rarely have I read such nonsense paraded as fact. His sweeping generalisations and ludicrous hypothesis only serve to illustrate the desperation of the 'No' campaigners.
Typical Tory scare-mongering tactics. They used the same method in the last assembly and general elections. Unfortunately, too many people believed them and we lost an excellent MP in Nick Ainger.
Sir Eric clearly doesn't need his free bus pass, free prescriptions, free eye tests and is not interested in the wonderful new school in Narberth, the excellent extensions to Greenhill, the massive multi-million pound improvements at Withybush Hospital, which, the Tories told everyone, would close, the new £4 million hospital at Tenby, which also got the 10-bedded NHS ward at Park House because of the direct intervention of Jane Hutt, then secretary of health at WAG, who had to rule against the Local Health Board of the time who resisted the whole concept.
The reason we in Wales have less to spend on everything, per capita, is because of the unfair Barnet formula which the Westminster Government allocates to us. But the Welsh Assembly has always made social needs a priority. It has a collective social conscience amongst Labour and Plaid AMs at least. Unlike the present Westminster coalition which gives tax cuts to the rich, endorses the obscene salaries and bonuses of the 'fat cats' and puts the debit problem on to the backs of ordinary working people, despite the fact that the tax dodgers and bankers do not even pay their fair share of taxes.
What's the WAG achieved in 12 years? How about being the first country to ban smoking in public places? Scotland followed and finally, England. How about free medical prescriptions? Followed by Scotland. In England, people pay dearly for theirs. It was the WAG which abolished the pernicious SATs tests for primary children, while children as young as seven in England, are still being 'taught to the tests,' under pressure from the age of six. It is the Welsh Assembly Government which intends to protect our future students from the exorbitant rise in university fees, not Westminster.
Looking at our capital city, since devolution we have seen the total transformation of Cardiff Bay. (I remember how it was 40 years ago). The fabulous Millennium Centre better in my view than Sydney Opera House, externally and internally hosts world-class opera seasons where you can still buy tickets for £5, thanks to WAG subsidies. Then there's the millennium stadium, which is said to be the best rugby stadium in Europe, and right in the heart of the city.
How about Dwr Cymru? The only not-for-profit water company. Water rates in England are punitive.
We have some of the best high-tech companies in Europe in all sorts of areas in Wales, although they are small.
Sir Eric talks of the £400 million spent on Government in Wales. How much is Westminsiter spending on the 2012 Olympics so that Londoners and tourists reap the benefits?
In Wales, we do not want to have to ask permission of Westminster every time we wish to move forward in a different way to England.
If Sir Eric is so dissatisfied with the WAG, there is no charge for going over the Severn in the direction of England, only to come back into this special little country.
Mollie Neate,
Tenby.